Thursday, October 20, 2016

Easy Vegetable Alphabet Soup

Feel like a kid again when you make this Easy Vegetable Alphabet Soup! It's full of delicious veggies in a tomato based broth and finished with ABC pasta. It will remind you of your childhood!

You asked for it, you got it!

I asked readers what kind of recipes they would like to see more of, and you raised your hands and said, "soup!"

This is the kind of soup recipe you can make on a busy weeknight. It doesn't take long to put together. And, since I used mostly frozen and pantry items in the recipe, it keeps cooking time to a minimum.

For me, this is truly a soup of my childhood. ABC soup, as we called it, was a lunch staple in my house growing up. I've never been much of a soup person. But over the years, I've come around. It really is so easy to make and the truth is, homemade soup tastes better than any soup you can get from a can...period. So why not roll up your sleeves and give this recipe a try this week? Pair it with some grilled cheese sandwiches or a tuna salad sandwich for a great meal the whole family will enjoy! The bonus...leftovers for lunch the next day!

NOTE: I do use canned potatoes in this recipe. I like them here better than fresh for a few reasons. They do not require any cooking time and they do not add any starch to the soup base. They are actually the perfect texture and moisture level for this soup and they won't get mushy. If you aren't a fan of canned potatoes, you can substitute fresh diced potatoes and add them with the onions.

Vegetable Alphabet Soup

By Renee Paj

Vegetable Alphabet Soup is a quick and easy soup full of veggies in a tomato based broth finished with ABC pasta shapes.

Ingredients

1-2 TBS olive oil

1 cup diced sweet onion

3 stalks celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 small zucchini, diced

2 - 14 oz. cans of diced tomatoes

2 - 32 oz. low sodium vegetable or chicken stock

16 oz, frozen mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, green beans, peas)

1 - 10 oz. can diced potatoes (drained)

1 cup dry ABC pasta

1 - 10oz. can condensed tomato soup

salt and pepper, to taste

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

Instructions

In large dutch oven (6 quart), heat oil on med heat. Add in onion and celery. Cook for about 6 minutes or until they start to soften.

Stir in garlic, dried thyme, and diced zucchini. (I also salt and pepper at this stage). Continue to cook on med heat until onion becomes translucent.

Add in diced tomatoes, vegetable (or chicken) stock, frozen vegetables and canned potatoes. Stir in condensed tomato soup. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer with lid on loosely.

While soup simmers, heat water in a med sized pot to boiling. Add pasta and cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water (to remove some of the starch and stop cooking process). Set aside.

Check on soup, when all the veggies are soft and cooked through, turn off heat. Add lemon juice. Check for seasoning and adjust as needed. Stir in pasta and serve. (the heat from the soup will warm up the pasta)